Director of Residential Life and Housing

Job Description: Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Student Experience, the Director of Housing Operations and Residential Experience provides strategic and operational leadership for the university's housing operations, residential systems, occupancy management, and residential infrastructure. This position oversees the day-to-day operational management of Arcadia University's residential communities and serves as a key leader in ensuring housing operations are efficient, student-centered, and aligned with institutional priorities. The Director is responsible for housing assignments, occupancy management, housing systems administration, residential facilities coordination, graduate housing operations, crisis response systems, and operational planning related to the residential student experience. The Director supervises a team that includes an Assistant Director, Residence Life Coordinators and a Housing Operations Coordinator. The Director collaborates closely with Campus Life Leadership, Facilities, Enrollment Management, Public Safety, Dining Services, Information Technology, and other campus partners to support residential operations, student wellbeing, and community success.

Location: Glenside

Responsibilities:

Housing Operations & Occupancy Management

• Provide leadership for all university housing operations and residential systems

• Oversee housing assignments, occupancy management, room selection, waitlists, temporary housing, break housing, early arrivals, and late stays

• Lead operational planning and execution for move-in, move-out, openings, closings, and residential transitions

• Oversee implementation and management of graduate housing operations

• Develop and maintain housing operational policies, procedures, and assessment practices

• Support long-range planning related to occupancy management, residential utilization, and operational effectiveness

• Manage housing operations budgets related to occupancy management, summer operations, residential systems, and housing project

Housing Systems Administration

• Serve as the senior administrator for housing management systems and operational platforms

• Oversee system configuration, maintenance, testing, reporting, and optimization for systems such as StarRez, PowerCampus, MCR, or related platforms

• Ensure housing data integrity, operational compliance, and reporting accuracy

• Generate occupancy, utilization, and housing trend reports to support operational and strategic planning

• Collaborate with Enrollment Management, Information Technology, and institutional partners on housing-related processes and student onboarding

Residential Facilities & Operations Coordination

• Serve as the primary liaison between Housing and Facilities Management

• Coordinate maintenance priorities, work orders, facilities concerns, and residential operational needs

• Support planning and execution of residential improvement projects, furniture replacement, renovations, and student-centered facilities enhancements

• Assist with long-term residential facilities planning, deferred maintenance initiatives, and summer project coordination

On-Call & Crisis Response

• Serve within the university's residential on-call structure as Professional On Duty (POD 2)

• Provide leadership and oversight for residential crisis response, escalation management, and emergency coordination

• Respond to complex student situations involving health, safety, mental health, facilities emergencies, and conduct concerns

• Support ongoing assessment, training, and implementation of on-call procedures and crisis response protocols

• Maintain availability during assigned evening and weekend on-call rotation

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Educational Leadership, or related field required
• 5-7 years of progressively responsible experience in university housing, residential life, or campus life leadership
• Demonstrated experience supervising professional staff and leading complex housing operations
• Experience with residential crisis response systems and on-call management
• Experience with housing systems administration, occupancy management, and facilities coordination
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across divisional and institutional partners in support of student success initiatives

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience implementing residential curriculum models, cohort-based engagement strategies, or themed residential communities
• Experience with graduate housing operations or specialized housing initiatives
• Experience with strategic planning related to residential communities and student experience development
• Experience supporting student retention, belonging, and engagement initiatives through residential environments

Required Skills and Abilities

• Strong knowledge of university housing operations, occupancy management, and residential systems administration
• Experience with housing management software and student information systems (MCR, PowerCampus, StarRez, Colleague, or similar platforms)
• Excellent organizational, strategic planning, and project management skills
• Strong analytical, assessment, and data management abilities
• Demonstrated ability to utilize assessment data, occupancy trends, and student experience metrics to inform operational planning and residential strategy
• Ability to manage complex operational processes in a fast-paced and student-centered environment
• Strong crisis response, decision-making, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusive practices, belonging-focused work, and student success
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, professional judgment, and operational discretion
• Experience collaborating effectively across departments and institutional divisions
• Knowledge of residential facilities operations, deferred maintenance planning, and student-centered facilities management

Application Instructions:

• Applications must be submitted online through Arcadia's Human Resources portal to receive full consideration. Please do not email application materials to the hiring manager. Due to the volume of applications received, communication will generally be limited to candidates selected for additional consideration.
• Application review will begin immediately. Posting will be removed from the website once we've established a sufficient talent pool for consideration.

Arcadia University is a top-ranked private University in Greater Philadelphia that provides a values-based, authentic educational experience by placing students at the center. The Institute of International Education has consistently ranked Arcadia first in the nation for study abroad, and the Princeton Review has ranked Arcadia among the "Best in the Northeast" for 10 consecutive years. The University's graduate programs in Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Education, and Public Health are nationally ranked in their respective categories by U.S. News & World Report, which cites Arcadia for being among the top study abroad programs and a top performer for social mobility. Arcadia is home to a close-knit and welcoming community that supports students throughout their journey. Arcadia's quality academic programs, unique approach to a liberal arts education, and supportive community guide students toward degree completion and career success. Learn more about our vibrant community at www.arcadia.edu.

We welcome candidates who can contribute to the excellence of our community. The successful candidate will demonstrate examples of ways they will incorporate our values in their work.

At Arcadia University, our Lived Values are the foundation of our highly regarded, values-based learning community, which reflects the world in which we want to live. As such, Arcadia actively seeks and welcomes candidates who embrace those values. Arcadia prohibits discrimination against individuals on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, age, gender identity, military or military veteran status, disability, family medical or genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristic. All offers of employment are conditional based on the successful completion of a background check. Employment may not begin until the University accepts the results of the background check.

Arcadia offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare, generous tuition benefits for employees and their families, retirement benefits, health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Position Code: AC0107